Judaism
The Second Temple: Splendor, diversity and destruction
· 8 min read
The Second Temple (515 BCE-70 CE) was the center of Judaism in a period of enormous creativity: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and apocalyptic literature emerged. Its destruction defined rabbinic Judaism.
The Second Temple
Reconstruction
The Second Temple was rebuilt under Zerubbabel (515 BCE) and expanded by Herod the Great (20 BCE-45 CE), becoming one of the wonders of the ancient world.
Jewish diversity
Multiple streams flourished during this period: Pharisees (oral tradition), Sadducees (written Torah only), Essenes (Qumran community), and apocalyptic literature (Enoch, Jubilees).
The Mishnah (oral law), Septuagint (Greek translation), and the synagogue emerged.
The Great Revolt and destruction
The rebellion against Rome (66-73 CE) ended with the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE). Jerusalem was razed; only the Western Wall (Kotel) remained.
Reading: Josephus Flavius (Jewish Wars), Talmud Bavli Gittin 55b-58a (causes of the destruction). The Yavneh model of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai.
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